This book traces the decline of landed power in England between 1815 and 1939, primarily in political, but also in economic and social terms. The essays, by leading authors in the field, examine different aspects of the decline of landed power.

Examines the importance of place and its relationship to the quality of public life in the context of those northern states (e.g. Montana) whose settlement marked the end of the old frontier. Also generally questions, in terms of the Jeffersonian democratic ideal, the relationship between cities and rural areas and between politics and economics. Ten papers, revised from their presentation at an October 1989 meeting in Reading, England, explore the various economic policies of the British government since 1900, from nonintervention to nationalism to privatization and deregulation, and their effect on such industries as agriculture, oil, banking, and manufacturing. They find the policies ineffectual and inconsistent compared to those in other countries. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The rural areas of Britain, Europe and the developed world are undergoing massive changes, with increasing concern about productivity, agricultural methods and environmental policy. Rural Politics examines the issues affecting rural areas, such as water pollution, forestry, and the greening of agricultural policy. It looks in particular at the political parameters to these issues and how concern for the countryside is essentially a part of a wider set of political processes. Rural Politics provides a much needed examination of the evolution and content of policies affecting today's countryside, both in terms of major land uses and economic and social development.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is central to both economic and environmental developments in Europe. But with the advent of new environmental legislation and political change in Europe the CAP faces increasing pressure to reform. European Agriculture provides a comprehensive breakdown of the workings of the CAP and its impact on farming in Europe. The author discusses every aspect of European agricultural policy, production and trade, from environmental contraints and the impact of biotechnology, to the role of European farming in the world food supply system. Posing direct questions about the recent 1992 agricultural reform, the 1994 GATT agreement and the reasons for the expensive continuation of the CAP, European Agriculture analyses the economic, political and environmental implications of pursuing present farming policy and provides a provocative commentary on the agricultural future of Europe.

Offering a detailed overview of state involvement in the rationalisation and reorganisation of British industry between the wars, this is the first work to address the issues in a comprehensive manner for over 50 years. Utilising a range of primary source material (including papers from the PRO, the Bank of England, the Federation of British Industry and various private archives), Julian Greaves has combined a selection of detailed case studies of selected industries with a broader overview of the national political and industrial situation. The resulting work, which manages to balance analytical depth with breadth of coverage, argues that despite numerous problems and limitations, 1930s' industrial reorganisation policy was reasonably successful in meeting the limited aims of the government.

Organised into sections on society, culture, politics and the economy, and embracing subjects as diverse as women novelists and village crafts, this book argues that almost everywhere we look in the countryside between the wars there were signs of new growth and dynamic development.